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@eine ttttrs @anni @frn GEORGE L. GERARD, CF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

Letters Patent No. 67,428, dated August 6, 1867. n

BUCKLES.

@he Sdgthnle ttfrmh tu iu tlgtst trtits @mettant making ont tf tigt same.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, GEQRGE L. GERARD, of New Haven, in the county of New Heven,and State of Connecticut, have invented new improvement in Buckles; and I do hereby declare the following,'when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

.Figure 1, a top view.

Figure 2, a transverse section on line x x; and in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the manner of securing the strap.

This invention relates to an improvement in buckles for hoopsliirts and similar fastenings, and consists in forming three bers from a single piece of metal, the space between each of the two bars being open at opposite ends.

To enable others to construct and use my improvement, I will proceed to describe the sanne as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

A singlpicce of metal', of the size according to the use for which the buckle is designed, is bent, as seen in fig. 1, in'to three parallel bars, a, b, and c, leaving-spaces d e closed at opposite ends by the curvaturefandg of the metal. For the purpose of better security, I form upon the under side of the two outer bu'rs a, lip or iange, t', as seen in fig. 2. This completes the buckle, which is formed Without waste of metal and bythe employmentof extremely simple machinery, yso that the cost of the buckle is but very little more than the cost o f the metal used.

Its operation is as follows: One end, A, ot`\the strap is secured to the central bar, as seen in fig. 3. The other end, B, of the strap or bund is inserted into one of the spaces, e, through the open end, as denoted in fig. 3, and into the position denoted in fig. 4. Then the same end is passed over and entered into the space d, as

seen in fig. 4, and into the position seen in fig. 5; and when so inserted `is most securely held, and is unfastenedv by the reversal of the operation. 'Thus it will be seen that while the buckle is of the cheapest possible construction, it is alike simple in its operation, avoidingr :illthe pcrplexity and trouble ofinscrting theband through the loop, asin buckles ofcommon construction.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Th herein-described buckle as an article of manufacture.

GEO. L. GERARD.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. EARLE, JOHN H. SHUMWAY. 

